Tsinghua University announced on Monday a new breakthrough in the development of key next-generation Internet technology. China's first core router based on Ipv6 protocol operated successfully on CERNET2, a newly opened trunk test network of the next-generation Net.

The router, one of the most important components of Internet infrastructure, is the "traffic hub" of the Net, searching out the best route for information transmission. Hardware must be Ipv6-compatible in order to take advantage of the faster, larger and more secure next-generation system. At present, only a few countries have developed an Ipv6 core router.

China began research on this technology two years ago. Tsinghua University and Tsinghua Unisplendour Bitway Networking Technology jointly developed and own the patent on the successful BE12016 core router

While primarily developed for use with the next-generation Internet, the BE12016 is also compatible with the current generation. Its transmission capacity is 320 billion bits per second and forwarding ability is 96 million times per second.

The development of the BE12016 router fills a gap in the hardware for the next-generation Internet and is of great strategic significance in raising China's international competitiveness in this field.

(People's Daily March 31, 2004)